It doesn't always work, sometimes it just manages to waste a lot of time of everyone involved rather than the other way around. I had this very same problem with StackOverflow. I had a very complicated problem and yet the question could be stated in 2 sentences + an example method signature. As it turns out, what I wanted was not possible, but instead of getting that answer I -and of course the 3 or 4 people trying to help me- were dragged into discussing the very complicated part because of this rubber ducky philosophy.
Any interaction on SO is so painful for me these days that it has become an absolute last resort, which in turn means I spend as little time there as humanly possible which in turn means I stopped answering anybody else's questions. Clearly, the site is doing fine and doesn't need me in the slightest, but it cannot be denied that my own experience has shifted dramatically from "this is the greatest programmer forum ever!" to "don't subject yourself to SO unless you have no other option."

At Stack Exchange, we insist that people who ask questions put some effort into their question, and we're kind of jerks about it. That is, when you set out to ask a question, you should … Describe what's happening in sufficient detail that we can follow along. Provide the necessary backgroun...